Former City of Riverside employee Jason Hunter makes Channel 9 News, click the link to view the coverage of last night’s City Council Meeting in Pasadena. Hunter was fired from Riverside Public Utilities for attempting to expose fraud, just recently won a settlement against the City, as a result.

Local Riverside residents Jason Hunter and Vivian Moreno rev up the City of Pasadena’s Monday night City Council Meeting at public comment with the issue of recycled city executives. Incidentally, both Hunter and Moreno were of the 15 winners of the 2014 VIC (Very Influential Citizen) Awards given out by the the Coalition for Better Government, Riverside. The story broke a couple of weeks ago that $6.4 million in taxpayer monies were embezzled by a former Public Works employee, Danny Ray Wooten, for over a ten year period. So who was minding the store? Former Riverside Assistant City Manager Michael Beck, now Pasadena City Manager, and former Riverside Public Works Director Siobhan Foster, now Pasadena’s Public Works Director. The question of recycled executives taking part of what we see a culture of corruption.

Another fun fact is the the accounting firm of Mayer Hoffman McCann was the City of Pasadena’s! Remember, Mayer Hoffman McCann was the same accounting firm that missed misappropriation of fund at the City of Bell. Incidentally, Mayer Hoffman McCann had been the City of Riverside for quite some time. Pasadena’s loss of $6.4 million beats Bell’s $5.5 million misappropriation of funds.

At Tuesday’s City Council, on January 13, 2015, Councilman Paul Davis suggested that a independent auditor be hired to overlook the City of Riverside’s financials. Someone completely independent of the City, in order to give an honest and forthright opinion, in order to prevent an event such as Pasadena. This was downplayed by Interim City Manager Lee McDougal, stating these were two different forms of city governments, hence there are differences in how financials are processed for payouts. He went on to state that the City of Riverside has an Internal Auditor who oversees our financials, thus implying no need for an independent auditor. Interim City Manager McDougal just arrived and has already contradicted himself, because the City’s Internal Auditor works for the City, already a contradiction. The City Manager and the Internal Auditor need to know that they work for the pleasure of the Council, and more importantly, they work for the employers who pay their salaries…the Taxpayers. Incidentally, McDougal made in known that the position of the Internal Auditor had been elevated to Assistant City Manager. With Lee’s scenario, will Riverside have another Bell or Pasadena?

Interim Riverside City Manager Lee McDougal

McDougal also seemed to take offense at the public criticizing staff and employees, and attempted what seemingly was to “hard ball” public criticism; the taxpayer and employer. Well, Mr. McDougal needs to read up on California Assembly Bill 194, Section 1, 54954.3 to start. Should we call it taxpayer insubordination?

We refer specifically to the following:

(c) (1) Subject to reasonable regulations promulgated pursuant to subdivision (b), the legislative body of a local agency, or its presiding officer or staff, acting in their official capacity on behalf of the legislative body, shall not prohibit, limit, or otherwise prevent any of the following:(A) Public criticism of the policies, procedures, programs, or services of the agency, or of the acts or omissions of the legislative body or its officers or employees acting in their official capacity.

Therefore, Mr. McDougal, don’t tell your boss, the taxpayer, that they don’t have the right to criticize their government staff, you may also want to take a look at Baca vs. Moreno Valley.

Unlike our former wimpy City Manager Scott Barber, we find it appealing and respectful, that at least this Interim City Manager lays his cards on the table, and that’s a good thing, because we all love a lively debate, especially when it comes to debating for the absolute benefits of the taxpayer. Let’s remember, TMC’s focus is taxpayers fighting for the greater good of taxpayers, and that’s, that.

But if McDougal was referring to the Reiko Kerr/Gary Nolff alleged incident or Darlene Elliot, then he must certainly need to do his homework. Again, Welcome to the City of Riverside….hopefully you can handle it.

UPDATE: 01.15.2015: TO BE FAIR, CITY ATTORNEY LEE MCDOUGAL HAS BEEN REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITY INDIVIDUAL AND SETTING MEETING TO DISCUSS ISSUES. Which we believe is a first for Riverside. He was a bit taken back by when told what the residents perceived he meant by his statements made on Tuesday’s City Council meeting. It appeared to us that what he said was not directed to any thing said at City Council public comment or by any emails or complaints made by any individual or residents regarding the city or staff.

CITY OF RIVERSIDE CANCELS BB&K CONTRACT FOR CITY ATTORNEY SERVICES: This means that BB&K Attorney Christina Talley will no longer act as the Interim City Manager for the City of Riverside. In her place, Supervising Deputy City Attorney Kristi Smith will now assume the position of City Attorney. Taxpayers were paying BB&K $19,500 per month for her wonderful legal advice. Well good riddance..

HUDSON SIGHTING! FORMER CITY MANAGER BRAD HUDSON WAS SEEN IN ABOUT UNIVERSITY AVENUE SOME DAYS AGO POSED AND SMILED FOR THE PIC WITH UNKNOWN LADY.

CLICK ABOVE PIC TO ENLARGE

ATTORNEY LETITIA PEPPER SENDS EMAIL TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THAT THE OATH TO OFFICE SHOULD INCLUDE THE CITY CHARTER! Pepper referenced former City Attorney Gregory Priamos hiring of outside legal services without a contract, only invoices. I believe even the State Bar of California requires that all legal services rendered be bound by a contract. But that was how our former City Attorney rolled, self serving and no intention to protect the best interest of the taxpayers.

TMC, RATED RIVERSIDE’S MOST “OFFENSIVE,” “INAPPROPRIATE,” “HURTFUL,” “MEAN SPIRITED,” “DISTASTEFUL,” “EMBARRASSING,” HORIFFIC,” “SLANDEROUS” AND MEZZSPELLED, “MISSPELLED” AND “OPINIONATED” BLOG SITE! TEMPORARILY BLOCKED BY THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AT PUBLIC ACCESS SITES WITHIN THE CITY, THEN UNBLOCKED. I GUESS YOU CANNOT DO THAT ACCORDING TO THE ACLU. RATED ONETWO ONE STAR OUT OF FIVE IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY APPROVAL RATINGS.. TMC IS NOW EXCLUSIVLY EXCLUSIVELY ON FILE WITH THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE’S DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE (WE BELIEVE THIS WILL END SOON, SINCE THE FOCUS IS NOW ON THE IMPROPRIETIES OF MR. “Z”, WE TRIED TO TELL YOU, BUT NOBODY LISTENED), AND DON’T FORGET WE ARE PROSSIBLY POSSIBLY ON FILE WITH THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE’S POTENTIAL SLAPP SUIT LIST… A STRATEGIC LEGAL MANEUVER THAT CAN BE DONE ONLY IN RIVERSIDE WITHOUT A CONTRACT… AGAIN, THANK-YOU COMMUNITY OF RIVERSIDE AND THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEE’S FOR YOUR SUPPORT! COMMENTS ALWAYS WELCOMED, ESPECIALLY SPELL CHECKERS! WE JUST CAN’T SPELL! EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY WITH YOUR DIRT BY CONTACTING US AT: THIRTYMILESCORRUPTION@HOTMAIL.COM

[…] Talley was the former City Attorney for the City of Pasadena during the years of 1994-1996, cities do recycle their employees! She came here to Riverside, while we sent former Public Works D… Kiss that $6.4 million good bye Pasadena, it will cost another $6.4 million in legal fees to […]